Windows are a home safety hazard that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Practice care with functioning windows and don’t rely on screens to prevent accidents. Even if a window is marked as a protected point of entry for a home alarm system, you still need to take steps to protect children who are around it.

Practice these window safety tips to help secure your home and protect your family.

• Clear the area: Prevent access for children and avoid placing anything that can easily be climbed on  near windows. Never create play areas in front of windows.

• Block access: If you must open windows for ventilation, open the top portion no more than four inches. Many different kinds of window guards are available, but be sure to purchase ones that have quick-release mechanisms so that you can escape quickly in the case of a fire or other home security emergency.

• Watch coverings: Be wary of any inner or outer loops in cords on window blinds. Also be sure to tie cords up and keep them out of the reach of children. Keep any furniture, including cribs and play pens, from windows and window coverings.

• Stay nearby: Never leave a small child alone near an open window.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, as many as nine millions Americans’ identities are stolen each year. Identity theft can happen in a number of ways, and can hurt your credit report and score. The trail an identity thief leaves behind can be messy and lead to a complicated process of clearing it up.

Help protect your identity and improve  home security while you’re gone on vacation this year with these three easy tips:

1. Put a hold on newspaper and mail delivery: People often arrange for friends or family members to pick up mail periodically when they’re away, but if someone is watching your home they may notice that you’re not getting your mail and realize you’re away from home.
2. Notify your home security company: Utilize the service for which you’re paying and let your home alarm system provider like ADT know that you’ll be away so they’ll be even more alert when it comes to helping protect your home.
3. Tell your credit card companies your itinerary: If they know you’ll be in Greece, company representatives won’t be suspicious of your spending there, but they’ll notify you if someone is using your credit card number at home.

Many people are opting to work out of their home to save on commuting costs or spend more time with their families. While you may feel safer at home than in an office building, it’s important to remember that home offices and their expensive equipment can attract potential burglars.

Be sure to follow these simple safety tips below to help keep you and your home office safe.

• A few extra measures: In addition to a home alarm system and working locks on all outdoor windows and doors, install window treatments that obscure your office equipment from sight. But for a little extra assurance, install a dead bolt on your home office door to deter potential burglars from taking equipment like computers, printers and paper shredders.

• Safe records: Label and make a list of your equipment, along with photos and keep it in a safe place like a safe or bank deposit box so you’ll know what exactly you had in the case of damaged or stolen equipment. Also notify your insurance company that you’re working from home.

• Entryway check: Identify anyone making a delivery to your home before you open the door to ensure your home security. Never let the person enter your home office.

• Initial meetings: Always meet clients or other people you’re meeting for the first time in public. Also, let someone else know whom you’re meeting and where to ensure that someone will be on alert in case something happens to you.

Are you looking for simple, inexpensive way to improve your home security? The main component of property defense is an ADT alarm system, but there are several additional components you can install to bolster that technology. Read on to discover how you can make your family safer without breaking the bank.

Install Flood Lights: Normal bulbs concentrate their light into a narrow beam, illuminating a small area. Flood lights work the opposite way, by beaming low-level light across a wide swath of territory. One high powered flood light can bring your entire driveway out of the darkness, taking away hiding places from potential intruders. Along with ADT decals and sign posts, bright light is one of the strongest deterrents to criminals. Motion-sensing light systems can be installed for under one hundred dollars.

Take Away the Incentive to Break In: Don’t advertise your expensive goods to burglars. Hang some blinds or curtains in rooms with big-ticket items like televisions and computers. Try to park cars in the garage.

Get a Dog: Man’s best friend is a burglar’s worst enemy. You don’t need a Rottweiler or Pitbull; any dog with a decent bark will send criminals scurrying on to the next house on the block.

Change Your Locks: When was the last time you swapped out your old locks? If you’re like most Americans, every once in a while you give out a spare key. Over the years, these invitations into your home accumulate. Eliminate the chance of an uninvited guest gaining easy entry by changing the locks on all doors. While you’re at it, upgrade to a more secure deadbolt lock.

Buy a 2×4: One piece of wood can have a huge impact on your home security. Sliding glass doors are one of the most vulnerable parts of your home’s defense. Jam a 2×4 between the door frame and the lip of the door to make sure that it can’t easily be opened.

Home security is a lifelong effort. Use these inexpensive tips to make your ADT alarm even more effective.

The changing weather presents many challenges for homeowners. From the potential doom and gloom of hurricane season to the dangers that come along with heavy snowfall, people need to be aware of home security issues that could turn nasty quickly. Mother Nature can turn into a vicious killer in mere moments, so take note of the following situations and the accompanying ways to combat potential hazards.

Staying Safe During Hurricane Season: Residents of the Gulf Coast are well aware of the hazards associated with the height of hurricane season, but many don’t have an effective plan in place in case of the worst. Residents of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas need to have a firm strategy for both maintaining home security, and evacuating, should it come to that. Hurricane Katrina exposed the weakness of local, state, and federal government; don’t expect them to come to your rescue if another storm strikes. An ADT home alarm system is a great way to secure your home, especially if your evacuation takes you out of state. With five interconnected command centers, you know that no matter where the weather strikes, your service won’t go down.

The Many Dangers of Snow: The white fluffy stuff is the stuff of legend, but it can wreak havoc in different ways. Major snowstorms can dump feet of snow on your roof, and older houses may not have the structural integrity to hold up all that extra weight. If you’re taking a respite from the cold and heading south on vacation, make sure to arrange for someone to shovel-there’s nothing like an unplowed driveway to signal burglars that a homeowner isn’t home. While you’re at it, make sure to set your ADT home security system as you trudge out.

Be Aware of Tornadoes: In the Midwest, the fall brings danger of a different sort. Unpredictable weather can result in powerful tornadoes. Make sure everyone in your family knows where to head in case of a sudden twister strike.

Respect the power of Mother Nature, and take precautions to mitigate the dangers. By following proper procedures, you can lower the risk of a weather related catastrophe.

The summer and its heat are reaching their climax in many parts of the country, and that means that kids will soon be returning to school. In just a few weeks, you’ll be busy with the annual rituals: shoe shopping, the habitual trips to office supply stores, and the hunt for the latest in teenage fashion. Amidst all this chaos, make sure not to forget that safety should be at the forefront. The beginning of the school year is a particularly dangerous time for children as they adapt to new habits. Here are some tips to avoid potential accidents and problems.

Go Over the Basics: It’s been a long, hot summer, and younger children may have forgotten some of the basics of both home security and safety outside of the home. Discuss the basic safety tips, such as talking to strangers and how to negotiate traffic properly. Remember that things that seem simple to you can be more complex to a child, so take the time to make sure they understand.

Perform Some Bus Stop Recon: Before your child’s first bus ride of the new school year, take them out to the stop, and scope out potential hazards. Make sure they understand how to safely wait for the bus, and how to cross the street without danger, if that’s a necessary maneuver.

Re-learn the Home Security System: Take a few moments to review the code to your home security system, as well as its operation. If your kids have been away at sleep away summer camp, there’s a good chance they may have forgotten the details.

Make Sure Freshmen Understand Your Expectations: You’ve waited for this day for 18 years, and now that it’s here, it seems bittersweet. You’re proud your child is heading off to continue their education, but nervous at the same time about all of the dangers that come with living away from home. Sit them down and talk about your expectations, including your thoughts on alcohol and drug use. It could be an uncomfortable conversation, but it’s a necessary one.

The school year is a fun time of reuniting with old friends and making new ones. In the middle of all this excitement, make sure to remember that safety and home security should come first.